Bath Time
by I'm A Marooner
Summary: Kate Beckett has just gotten home from work, when she cannot find her family anywhere. Instantly panicking, she imagines the worst case scenarios. Future Fic. First Story! REVIEW AND CRITICIZE AND CRITIQUE PLEASE!


Kate leaned back against the elevator walls. It was two weeks before Christmas, and she was about the break down. The past case they had just closed had involved two kids being ruthlessly murdered, and all she wanted to do was cuddle up with her family. The case had worked her raw to the point of tears on multiple occasions. As she walked to the door, she could only think about the young faces that would never be given the chance to grow up.

"Castle?! I'm home!" Kate yelled threw the doorway. It was eerily quiet in the loft. Especially considering they had a two-year old girl and a four year old son, who normally were running around destroying everything in sight. Yes, they definitely were their father's children.

Walking further into the loft, Kate grew more and more anxious. The kitchen was silent. The living room, silent. Her bedroom, and Rick's office were empty. She didn't hear a sound from upstairs. Beginning to panic, she started jogging up the stairs. What if something happened to them? What if they were killed? What if the killer was still there? She drew her gun as she walked down the hallway, peaking into every room. They all were empty. She was starting to hyperventilate when she heard splashing coming from the bathroom. Opening the door, she spotted Rick and the kids in the bathtub. The floor was covered in water. Both kids had soap covering their faces, and their hair was sticking up in every direction. Her husband didn't look much better. The important thing was that they were safe.

"Momma!" Ryleigh shrieked. She threw her little arms up into the air, babbling nonsense as Castle turned to look at her. He flashed her his smart-ass grin as she walked closer to her family. Kneeling down by the tub, she ran her hand through Castle's hair as she kissed her kids on the cheek.

"What're my little munchkins up to?" Kate asked, barely getting the question out before her voice broke.

"Daddy said we could play battleship in the tub! But Ry won't play so instead we're pretending to be Santa!" Colton yelled. Oblivious to his mother's state of unease, he continued to ramble on about their day and all the fun things Daddy did with them.

As his story dragged on, Castle eyed his wife. She looked like hell, and tears were forming in her eyes. Rick tightened his grip on his daughter and brought Kate's face to his. He gently kissed her lips while running his fingertips across her cheek. He could feel her relaxing into his grip. Pulling back, he looked at her and asked, "You okay?"

Keeping her eyes down, Kate shook her head. After a moment, she looked up at him and smiled. "I will be… Now move over." She stood up, toeing her boots off as she did. Castle kept his gaze on her as she stripped down and joined them in the tub. Noticing his stare, Kate smirked at him, which only made him hold Ryleigh tighter. Ry cried out once, squirming until Castle let her into the water. She made her way over to her mother, wrapping her tiny arms around her neck, and laying her head on Kate's shoulder. Kate inhaled her little girl scent, and lowered herself into the bath.

Through this all, Colton was still reliving every detail of his day. He had definitely inherited his father's knack for storytelling. Castle interrupted him, claiming it was time to rinse off. Colton pouted as his father filled the cup up and dumped it over his head.

"No!" he screamed, covering his eyes. Colton hated baths. The only thing he liked was being "nakey," as he called it, and getting to play in the water. He was a handful. At the age of four, he had grown to frequently take his clothes off and run around the loft. Kate thought it was hilarious at first, but after he had opened the front door in all his glory, she had changed her thinking.

"Colton! Sit down and behave. I let you play for hours; it's time to get ready for bed!" Castle was never the one to yell, but in the mood Kate was in, he figured it was the best idea.

Colton continued to cry as Castle rinsed him off. When he was done, he passed him to Kate in exchange for Ryleigh. Ry was a daddy's girl through and through. Even when she was a newborn, her face would light up when he walked into the room. Castle rinsed her off with no qualms, and stepped out of the tub to get the towels. He had looked up just in time to see Kate running her eyes over his body as he wrapped a towel around his waist. Trying to contain his smile, he reached into the tub to pick Ryleigh up. Kate rolled her eyes as Ry immediately curled into his chest with a dreamy "Dada" falling from her little lips.

"See Kate, you Beckett woman just can't stay away from me," Castle tossed at her, already knowing what her reaction would be.

"Damn Castle, you caught me. And here I thought I was being sly." She smiled. And that had been Castle's goal.

"Hey, hey, hey. Little ears here! And you have never been sly about your desire for me." He walked out of the bathroom at that, and into the nursery. After letting Ryleigh pick out her pajamas for the night (The Pink Superman ones, of course) Castle carried her back into the bathroom.

Kate had already gotten out, so he walked up behind her and whispered in her ear, "Take this one to bed. I'll get Colton ready, and then draw us a real bath…" she shivered as he kissed right below her ear. Turning around, she reached for her daughter, meeting Castle's eyes. Her green orbs said all that she was feeling, silently thanking Rick for everything.

"Alright little man. Time for bed." Rick ordered to Colton. Colton stood up in the tub and started to protest, jumping up and down.

"No bed! No bed! No Bed!" he repeated over and over again like a mantra.

"Yes bed! And what have I said about jumping in the bath tub? You're going to slip and get hurt. Sit down, right now." Castle was shocked when his son actually did as he was told. Grabbing another towel, he wrapped Colton up and carried him to his room. Tossing him onto his bed, Colton giggled like crazy. He insisted on wearing his batman pajamas so he could pretend to "save people's lives, just like Momma!" Castle loved when his kids said their mom was a superhero. Because she was. In so many ways.

"Alright buddy. Put this on, and climb into bed. Mommy will be in to tuck you in in a couple minutes." Colton obliged, and wrestled himself into his PJ's. He refused to accept the help from Dad. He had just gotten his shirt on when Kate walked in the room. With a yawn, Colton slid under the covers. Rick kissed him goodnight and left the room. Kate sat on the edge of his bed, and ran a hand across his forehead. His hair was getting long, and fell over his face.

"Why you said Momma?" he asked in his innocent little boy voice.

"I'm not sad, baby. I just missed you guys today. And I need a cuddle from my favorite man."

Colton crawled into her lap, hugging her as tight as he could. "I love you, baby," Kate whispered, "More than you will ever know."

"I love you too Momma" Colton said into her neck. "All the way to the moon and back."

"Let's get you to bed." Kate said. He moved off her lap and onto his pillow. By the time, his head hit, he was already asleep. With one last kiss, Kate left to go find Castle.

She couldn't find him, so she walked to the bathroom where he said he'd be. He wasn't there, but candles had been lit, and a warm bubble bath had been drawn. Kate really didn't know what she did to deserve this man. A few moments later, she felt arms encircle her waist, and wet lips ghost over the back of her neck. "You wanna talk about it?" she heard Castle's husky voice ask.

Settling back against his chest, she began to explain the details of the case. "It was awful Rick. These two little kids who are never going to celebrate Christmas again, never going to believe in the magic, never going to go to kindergarten, or fall in love, or get married, or ever see their parents again. I couldn't deal with it. And when I got home, you didn't answer my call, and it scared me Rick. God, I've never been so scared in my life." His arms tightened around her stomach. "All these scenarios running through my head. The thought that I'd never see my kids or you again. I've never been so sick in my life. And when I found you in the tub, my heart all but exploded. I don't ever want to feel that way again." She reached up to wipe the tears that had fallen from her eyes, and turned to face her husband. He quickly wrapped her up in his arms, whispering over and over that they were all safe and everything's going to be fine.

"Let's just relax in the tub for a while, and I'll get the kids when we're done. We'll have a sleep over in the big bed. Will that make you feel better?" Rick asked. He still wasn't quite used to this emotional Beckett.

Kate nodded into his chest, "I love you."

"I love you, too." He brought her chin up to claim her lips. What started out as an innocent kiss grew to be much more passionate. Without breaking apart, he untied the towel from her body, letting in fall to the ground before doing the same for himself. He lowered her into the tub before stepping in behind her. She turned her body into his and rested her head on his chest. She really didn't know what she would ever do without her family.


End file.
